Hem pinning implement



Oct. 5, 1965 K. M. VOGEL HEM PINNING IMPLEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet l FiledSept. 3, 1965 ooo llvl

llunllml INVENTOR. KURT M. VDEEL ATTDRNBY.

Oct. 5, 1965 K, M VOGEL 3,209,976

HEM PINNING IMPLEMENT Filed Sept. 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Humm HIL." 1

INVENTOR. 25 25 KURT M. VUEBL z5 J6 36 Z6' BY 323 55 ai f AT TURNELYYUnited States Patent 3,209,976 HEM PINNING IMPLEMENT Kurt M. Vogel,Fairfield, Conn. (506 Logan St., Bridgeport, Conn.) Filed Sept. 3, 1963,Ser. No. 396,239 2 Claims. (Cl. 227-124) The present invention relatesto an adjustable hem pinning implement. It is customary in the fittingand finishing of certain garments, particularly ladies skirts anddresses, for the tailor, dressmaker or housewife to turn and temporarilypin the hem of such garments while they are in place upon the wearer,the hem being thereafter permanently stitched and the pins thereuponremoved. This is a laborious procedure and because of the diiiiculty ofaccurately placing the pins at a measured distance from the fold of thehem, the following stitching operation is both difficult and apt toresult Iin an uneven hem line.

An object of the invention is to provide an implement by means of whicha series of pins may be rapidly in- Serted in the hem, and to this endit is proposed to provide an implement in which a strip of adhered pinforming members are received, and which may be actuated to individuallyinsert the members in inverted U-shape in the material to be pinned andform each said member into a substantially straight pin with the legportions of the member in slightly offset parallel relation to thebridge portion.

A further object is to provide an implement of this character havingadjustable gauge means to accurately position the fold of the hem at apre-determined distance from the point at which the pin is applied7 sothat as the tailor, dressmaker or housewife successively applies thepins in spaced relation about the hem they will be uniformly spaced fromthe fold.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following detailed description taken `in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the inventionis shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is notlimited to the vdetails disclosed but includes all such variations andmodifications as fall within the spirit `of the invention and the scopeof the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a side elevation of a hem pinning implement according to theinvention, and showing the hem portion of a garment engaged therewithpreparatory to pinning;

FIG. 2 is a similar View showing the implement in its operative positionto apply a pin to the hem, the dot-andydash lines showing anintermediate position of the actuating hand grip lever wherein the hemis clamped in position preparatory to pinning;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the implement as seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, partially broken away,taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 5--5 of FIG.l;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the housing member andthe anvil and adjustable gauge members of the implement in separatedrelation;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale and partially linvertical section, with the hem portion of the garment in engagedrelation therewith preparatory to pinning;

FIG. 8 is a horizontal sectional plan view taken along the line 8 8 ofFIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a front elevation showing the implement in its partiallyoperated position to insert the leg portions of the pin forming memberthrough the hem;

FIG. l0 is a similar View showing the implement in 3,209,976 PatentedOct. 5, 1965 fully operated position to form the pin forming member intoa substantially straight pin;

FIG. ll is a perspective view showing the hem portion of a garment witha pin in place;

FIG. 12 is a similar view showing the pin being extracted following thestitching of the hem;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modified form of theinvention.

Referring to the drawings the hem pinning implement of the invention isadapted as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 to contain a strip S of invertedU-shaped pin forming members 10 formed of thin -bendable wire andadhered together, as by a suitable radhesive coating, so that they arereadily separable from the strip, the device according to the inventionbeing operable to force the side leg portions of a pin forming memberthrough the material to be pinned and thereupon bend them into outwardlyextending slightly offset substantially parallel relation to the bridgeportion as seen in FIG. ll. A substantially straight pin is thusprovided, which is retained by the slight offset bends againstaccidental slippage from the centralized position as seen in FIG. 1l,while permitting easy lmanual removal by withdrawing in either directionas seen in FIG. 12, the leg portions being of sufficient length .tolpermit lthem to be easily gripped by the fingers. The implement furtherincorporates adjustable gauge means to accurately determined the spacingof the pins from the fold of the hem.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawingsthe implement comprises a housing member, preferably formed of sheetmetal, consisting of a top wall 11, parallel side walls 12-12, and ahand grip portion 13 extending rearwardly from the top wall 11 and theupper portion of the Iside walls. In the lower portions of the sidewalls 12 there are respectively provided horizontal slots 14-14 disposedparallel to the top wall 11 and opening to the forward edges of the sidewalls t-o provide a throat space 15 for receiving the material to bepinned. The jaw portions 16 of the side walls below the slots 14 havetheir lower edges inclined downwardly and rearwardly and between thesejaw portions there is mounted an anvil member 17 comprising a base wall18 having a longitudinal slot 19 for cooperation with the .adjustablegauge means as will hereinafter more fully appear, and side walls 20secured as by welding to the inner sides of the jaw portions 16, thebase wall being inclined downwardly and rearwardly in parallel relationto the lower inclined edges of the jaw portions and the upper edges ofthe side walls being parallel to and substantially flush with the loweredges of the slots 14. A forward extension 21 of the base wall is bentrearwardly in conforming relation to the convexly rounded forward ends22 of the side walls 20 and is provided with outwardly extending anvilportions 23-23 seated in notches 24-24 in the upper edges of the sidewalls 20. Anvil grooves 25-25 are provided in the anvil portions forbending the leg portions of the pin forming members outwardly, as willhereinafter more fully appear, and the outer ends of the anvil portionsare curved downwardly to provide for the smooth movement of the anvil inrelation to material being pinned. The inner end surfaces of t-hegrooves 25 are inclined or curved upwardly to the top surface of theanvil to provide camming surfaces to start the spreading of the legportions as their ends are engaged with these camming surfaces. Arearward extension 26 of the base wall is bent upwardly therefrombetween the rearward ends of the side walls and is provided with anaperture 27 for the purpose of anchoring an actuating spring of t-heimplement as will hereinafter more fully appear.

A feed magazine for the strip S of pin forming members 10 is pivotallymounted Within the housing member in normally flush relation with theupper edges of the slots 14, and comprises an elongated channel member28- having intermediate its ends a pair of pivot bearing apertured ears29 struck from its base wall and extended downwardly in the plane of itsside walls and engaged by a transverse pivot pin 36 supported by andextending between the side walls 12 of the housing member, this pivotpin being located rearwardly of and substantially in line with the slots14 so that upon counterclockwise pivotal movement of the channel member28 its forward end will swing downwardly within the space 15 intoclamping relation with the material to be pinned. An elongated guidestrip 31 of U-shape in cross section is secured as by welding to thebase of the channel member 29, its side walls being inwardly spaced fromt-he -side walls of the channel member with their upper edges downwardlyspaced from inwardly extending retaining flanges 32 provided at theupper edges of the side walls of the channel member to thus provide aninverted U-shaped guide space for the strip 30.

At the forward end of the channel member 2S there is provided a stapledriving head consisting of a vertically disposed head member 33 ofU-shape in cross section having its side walls secured as by welding toupward extensions 34 of the side walls of the channel member, theforward edge of the base wall of the channel member being inwardlyoffset from the forward walls of the head member 33 to provide anopening 35 through which the forward pin forming member of the strip Sis adapted to be driven during the pinning operation. The side walls ofthe channel member respectively have clearance grooves 36-36 extendingupwardly from the ends of the opening 35, the base surfaces of thesegrooves being inclined upwardly and inwardly to allow clearance spacesfor the side leg portions of the staple forming member 10 whereby theyremain straight as they spread during the driving operation intoparallel relation with the bridge portion, as will presently more fullyappear. The driving means consists of a rectangular driver plate 37guided at its side edges in grooves 38 formed by the right-angularlydisposed adjacent surfaces of the head member, the upward extensionportions 34, and a backing member 39 secured as by welding to the innersides of lthe extension portions An actuating lever 40 provided with alower rearwardly extending hand grip portion 41 is pivotally mounted ona transverse pin 42 supported by and extended between the side walls 12of the housing and has its forward nose portion 43 engaged in an opening44 in the driver plate 37 and projected through a vertical slot 45 inthe forward wall of the head member 33. This lever is preferably formedof sheet metal, its two side portions being folded upwardly from thehand grip portion and disposed at the inner sides of the side walls 12at each side of the channel member 23, and being brought together in thecentral plane Ioi" the implement above the channel member where they aresecured together as by spot-welding to thus provide a lever in which theupper portion engaged with the pivot pin and the nose portion 43 are ofdouble thickness. Arcuate slots 46 provided in the side portions of thelever in concentric relation to the pivot pin 42 are engaged by thepivot pin 30 to permit limited swinging movement of the lever about thepivot pin 42 as will presently more fully appear.

A coil spring 47 positioned against the under slde of the channel member28 adjacent the pivot pin 30 has one leg engaged in the aperture 27 ofthe rearward wall 26 of the anvil member and its lower leg engaged withthe inner side of the hand grip portion 41 of the lever 40, and thusexerts pressure upon the lever in clockwise direction to normallyposition the hand grip portion 41 in the open relation with its forwardend abutting the rearward wall 26 of the anvil member as seen in FIG. l,to move the driver plate to its raised position within the head memberof the magazine, and to swing the magazine in clockwise direction aboutthe pivot pin 30 through engagement of the nose portion 42 of the leverwith the upper end of the slot 45 of the head member, the upper end ofthe head member being pressed against the top wall 11 of the housingmember.

The strip S of pin forming member 10 is pressed forward in the magazineby means of a push shoe 48 of inverted U-shape in cross section slidablymounted upon the guide strip 31 and having a pair of zapertured lugs49-49 disposed within the channel of the guide strip. These lugs areslidably engaged by a rod 50 having la head 51 at its forward end, aspiral spring 52 being disposed about the rod between the rearwardlydisposed lug and a locking member 53 secured upon the rearward end ofthe rod. This locking member has a linger grip extension 54 at its baseand at one side it is provided with a lug 55 adapted to be turned intoclocking engagement with a shouldered notch 56 provided in one side wallof the channel member 28. By turning the lug out of locking engagementwith the notch the push shoe may be removed for the purpose of insertinganother strip S of pin forming members 10. A lug 57 formed upon theforward end of the upper side of the push shoe is adapted when the lastpin forming member of the strip is in place beneath the `driver plate toabut the inner side of the driver plate, to thus prevent the push shoefrom entering the space beneath the driver plate when the last pinforming member of the strip has been driven.

The adjustable gauge for determining the spacing of the pins from thefold of the hem comprises an inclined transverse portion 58 disposed inparallel relation to the inclined base wall 18 of theanvil member andconnected thereto for longitudinal sliding movement by means of a headedStud 59 riveted to the transverse portion 58 and slidably engaged in thelongitudinal slot 19. A pair of outwardly bowed spring arms 60-60 extendupwardly from the outer ends of the transverse portion 58 at the outersides of the side walls 12 of the housing member and span thelongitudinal throat space 15 with their forward edges in a plane atright angles to the longitudinal axis of the throat space, so that asthe gauge is longitudinally adjusted along the inclined wall 18 of theanvil member the forward edges of the arms are at all times at rightangles to the plane of the material engaged in the throat space. Attheir upper ends the arms 60 are provided with pad portions 61-61engaging the outer surfaces of the side walls 12 under spring pressure,each pad being provided with an embossed detent projection 62 whichseats in one of a row of spaced indentations 63 provided in each sidewall 12 and arranged along a forwardly and upwardly inclined lineparallel to the inclined base wall 1-8 of the lanvil member. Theindentations 63 are evenly spaced, for example Ma inch apart, andsuitable calibration markings 64 are provided along the upper edges ofthe throat space 15 to indicate the distance of the gauge from the pointat which the pin is inserted in the material.

In operation the material M having a folded hem H is inserted in thethroat space 15 as seen in FIG. 1 with i the fold abutting the gaugewhich has been set at the ping relation with the material, as indicatedby the dotand-dash lines in FIG. 2, and then causing a pin formingmember 10 to be driven through the material and spread into straight pinform, as indicated by the full lines in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 9 the pin forming member is lirst driven through thegripped material with the side leg portions remaining perpendicular tothe bridge portion until their ends contact the camming surfaces of theinner ends of the anvil grooves 25, whereupon they spread outwardlywhile still remaining substantially straight by virtue of the clearancegrooves 36, finally assuming the position as seen inv FIG. 10 with theside leg portion slightly offset and parallel to the bridge portion. Theslight bends between the side leg portions and the bridge portionprevent accidental slippage of the pin from its centralized position,and at the same time permit easy removal through slight pulling forceexerted upon either leg portion, as seen in FIG. 12. In practice, thepins are removed from the hem after the same has been permanentlysecured by a line of stitching 64.

In FIG. 13 there is shown a modication of the invention in which thegauge member is slidably mounted upon the top wall 11 of the housing. Inthis case a longitudinal slot 19a is provided in the top wall which isslidably engaged by a headed stud 59a riveted to the transverse portion58a of the gauge. Bowed springy side arms (50a-60a extend downwardlyfrom the transverse portion at each side of the housing and span thethroat space at right angles to its longitudinal axis. Each arm isprovided with an embossed detent projection 62a engaging one of a row ofspaced indentations 63a in the side wall of the housing disposed along aline parallel to the top wall 11. The spacing of the indentations fromthe point at which the pin is driven is indicated by calibrationmarkings 64a.

The implement of the invention may be conveniently held in one hand as ahem is being pinned with the throat space of the implement oriented tohave the hem guided into it to the point where its fold engages thegauge whereupon initial squeezing pressure upon the hand grip portionscauses the implement to grip and hold the hem and continued pressureswiftly applies the pin. Upon release of such pressure the implement isconveniently slid along the hem to the point where the next pin isquickly applied and so on until the entire hem is pinned.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hem pinning implement, housing means comprising parallel sidewalls, a horizontal longitudinally extending transverse top wall and aninclined longitudinally extending transverse bottom wall inclineddownwardly and rearwardly relatively to said top wall, slot means insaid side walls disposed parallel to said top wall and dening ahorizontal longitudinally extending throat space opening to the forwardend of said housing means for receiving material to be pinned, amagazine within 'said housing means at one side of said throat space forreceiving a plurality of pin forming members and movably mounted formovement into said throat space to grip material disposed therein, eachsaid member including a bridge portion and a pair of leg portions, anvilmeans at the other side of said throat space, driver means associatedwith said magazine arranged to drive individual pin forming memberstherefrom in inverted U-shape to- Ward said anvil means, manually`operable means connected to said magazine and driver means adapted uponinitial actuation to move said magazine into gripping relation with saidmaterial and upon continued actuation to impart driving movement to saiddriver means, said anvil means having anvil surfaces arranged to spreadthe leg portions of an individual pin forming member into outwardlyextending substantially parallel relation to the bridge portion thereofas said leg portions are driven through said material and engaged withsaid anvil surfaces through driving pressure applied to the bridgeportion, and gauge means for limiting the depth of insertion of materialin said throat space comprising a transverse portion extendingtransversely across said inclined bottom wall, means connecting lsaidtransverse portion to said inclined bottom wall for longitudinalmovement in parallel relation to said inclined bottom wall, and sidearms extending from the ends of said transverse portion at the outersides of said side walls in spanning relation to said horizontal throatspace and including vertical transversely aligned forward edges disposedat right angles to the longitudinal axis of said horizontal throatspace, and detent means for releasably xing said gauge means inpredetermined positions of longitudinal adjustment.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said side arm-s arespringy to engage said side walls under spring tension, wherein saidinclined bottom wall has a longitudinally extending slot, wherein saidmeans connecting said transverse portion to said inclined bottom wallcomprises a headed stud secured to said transverse portion and slidablyengaged in said longitudinal slot of said inclined bottom wall, andwherein said detent means comprises an inclined row of spaced detentformations on at least one of said `side walls disposed parallel to saidinclined bottom wall, and a detent formation on at least one of saidsaid arms for selective engagement with one of said detent formations ofsaid inclined row.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,959,888 5/34Wilkins 1 423 2,033,599 3/36 Vogel 1-423 2,089,572 8/37 Polzer 1 423 X2,511,944 6/50 Richards 1-423 GMNVILLE Y. CUSTER, JR., Primary Examiner.

1. IN A HEM PINNING IMPLEMENT, HOUSING MEANS COMPRISING PARALLEL SIDEWALLS, A HORIZONTAL LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING TRANSVERSE TOP WALL AND ANINCLINED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING TRANSVERSE BOTTOM WALL INCLINEDDOWNWARDLY AND REARWARDLY RELATIVE TO SAID TOP WALL, SLOT MEANS IN SAIDSIDE WALLS DISPOSED PARALLEL TO SAID TOP WALL AND DEFINING A HORIZONTALLONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING THROAT SPACE OPENING TO THE FORWARD END OF SAIDHOUSING MEANS FOR RECEIVING MATERIAL TO BE PINNED, A MAGAZINE WITHINSAID HOUSING MEANS AT ONE SIDE OF SID THROAT SPACE FOR RECEIVING APLURALITY OF PIN FORMING MEMBERS AND MOVABLY MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT INTOSAID THROAT SPACE TO GRIP MATERIAL DISPOSED THEREIN, EACH SAID MEMBERINCLUDING A BRIDGE PORTION AND A PAIR OF LEG PORTIONS, ANVIL MEANS ATTHE OTHER SIDE OF SAID THROAT SPACE, DRIVER MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAIDMAGAZINE ARRANGED TO DRIVE INDIVIDUAL PIN FORMING MEMBERS THEREFROM ININVERTED U-SHAPE TOWARD SAID ANVIL MEANS, MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANSCONNECTED TO SAID MAGAZINE AND DRIVER MEANS ADAPTED UPON INITIALACTUATION TO MOVE SAID MAGAZINE INTO GRIPPING RELATION WITH SAIDMATERIAL AND UPON CONTINUED ACTUATION TO IMPART DRIVING MOVEMENT TO SAIDDRIVER MEANS, SAID ANVIL MEANS HAVING ANVIL SURFACES ARRANGED TO SPREADTHE LEG PORTIONS OF AN INDIVIDUAL PIN FORMING MEMBER INTO OUTWARDLYEXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATION TO THE BRIDGE PORTION THEREOFAS SAID LEG PORTIONS ARE DRIVEN THROUGH SAID MATERIAL AND ENGAGED WITHSAID ANVIL SURFACES THROUGH DRIVING PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRIDGEPORTION, AND GAUGE MEANS FOR LIMITING THE DEPTH OF INSERTION OF MATERIALIN SAID THROAT SPACE COMPRISING A TRANSVERSE PORTION EXTENDINGTRANSVERSELY ACROSS AND INCLINED BOTTOM WALL, MEANS CONNECTING SAIDTRANSVERSE PORTION TO SAID INCLINED BOTTOM WALL FOR LONGITUDINALMOVEMENT IN PARALLEL RELATION TO SAID INCLINED BOTTOM WALL, AND SIDEARMS EXTENDING FROM THE ENDS OF SAID TRANSVERSE PORTION AT THE OUTERSIDES OF SAID SIDE WALLS IN SPANNING RELATION TO SAID HORIZONTAL THROATSPACE AND INCLUDING VERTICAL TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED FORWARD EDGES DISPOSEDAT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID HORIZONTAL THROATSPACE, AND DETENT MEANS FOR RELEASABLY FIXING SAID GAUGE MEANS INPREDETERMINED POSITIONS OF LONGITUDINAL ADJUSTMENT.